Growing up, I always thought it was so cool that my dad got to travel the world and see so many different countries. I remember him leaving for a couple of weeks and coming home with stories about China, Egypt, Lesotho, and tons of other countries. Sometimes, he would just pass through these countries and he only got to be there for a day or so. Other times, he would go back to the same country several times because of how much work he was doing there. But it never felt unusual for him to say that he would be going on another trip soon.
Throughout all of this, I always knew that my dad wasn’t just traveling as a tourist. He always had a much more important purpose behind his travels. Everywhere he went, he was going there to help children find their forever families. Sure, it was cool that he occasionally came home with pictures of the Pyramids, or the Eiffel Tower, or souvenirs from Mongolia. But he was never just a tourist. Because he would also come home with stories. Stories about children who faced tremendous loss and hardship because their families were unable to support them. These children were alone and had nowhere to turn to without their family. They were orphans. And my father had made it his life’s mission to find forever families for every one of them. They have always been the reason for all of his travels. Every trip he has been on has been for the sake of finding a home for the most vulnerable people in the world.
Since I’ve started working at Small World, I finally got the chance to go with him on one of these trips and actually see what he does. He needed an extra hand on a trip to Small World’s children’s home in Liberia and invited me to help him on this trip. So, we booked our flights and made our way to Liberia. On the way, though, we got to enjoy a couple of tourist attractions. We had a long layover in Paris which gave us the chance to leave the airport and walk around the city. Of course, we went to see the Eiffel Tower and eat lunch at a café right next to it. We also made our way over to the great cathedral of Notre Dame. We even got a chance to see the Arc de Triomphe as we were riding the subway back to the airport. I finally got to see a new part of the world with my dad on one of his trips. But after this brief escapade, we had more serious work to get to. We had to get to Liberia.
When we finally got to Liberia, it was obvious that they were in the middle of their rainy season. In the plane, we had seen nothing but clouds for hours. On the ground, there was a constant light rain. Mold was growing on almost every sign and wall because they had no opportunity to dry over the past few months. Many of the roads there were dirt roads and they had been turned entirely into muddy paths. Only the major highways were actually paved. Our drive from the airport was about an hour and a half long; so, we were able to see plenty of the country and the people that lived there. This gave me my first serious look at the situation in Liberia.
Even with a passing view, it was obvious that the country hasn’t had much of a chance to develop. In addition to dirt roads, there were several unfinished buildings and houses. Most homes were little more than a small square of concrete walls with a tin roof. There was no place for people to take their trash, so they would simply throw their garbage to the side of the road or into a nearby river. Eventually, I found out that the reason Liberia has struggled to develop is because they had been hit so hard by Ebola and civil war. The effects of these tragedies can still be seen today, and many families continue to face significant economic and social challenges. Because of that, most of the people have lived with immense unrest for most of their lives. This situation is why there are so many children in need of adoption in Liberia. Situations like this are happening all across the world and it is why my dad has done so much work in other countries.
When we went to visit the children’s home, I finally got to see the most important part of Small World’s work: the children that we serve. As soon as we arrived the children were ecstatic to see us. Some of the older children recognized my dad because he had been there before. But most of them were just excited to be seeing new people. While we were there, I was able to spend time with several of the kids and play with them. A couple of them were as old as twelve or thirteen while some were only a couple years old. But they were all really excited to play games with us. They were all content to play rock, paper, scissors for hours. And when it wasn’t raining, they would go straight outside to the pavilion or the play-ground. We were also able to spend some time talking with the nannies and security team about how they run the home and take care of the children. Throughout our time there we also took several pictures and videos. The children especially loved seeing the cameras and seeing themselves with the selfie mode.
This trip gave me a chance to see what Small World really does. I actually got to meet these precious children who desperately need a forever family and see the circumstances that made them so vulnerable in the first place. The work that my dad has committed so much of his life to has been to advocate for these kids. It was encouraging to see the children laughing and playing even though they were waiting for the opportunity to become part of a permanent, loving family. So, I was really encouraged to see that Small World has been able to minister to these children by giving them a vibrant and loving home while they wait to be adopted. Now, they have a real chance of living happy lives with loving families. God has designed every one of these children to be a part of a loving family who will provide for them, play with them, and give them unconditional love. I am deeply proud that my family has committed so much to making that happen for these beloved children and I pray that every one of them finds their place in the family that God has designed for them.
Considering Adoption from Liberia?
At Small World, we believe every child deserves the love and security of a permanent family. If God has placed international adoption on your heart, we invite you to learn more about our Liberia adoption program, the adoption process, and how Small World can walk alongside your family.